Proponent's Conference

A proponent's conference is a procurement meeting held by the buyer for potential proponents, typically before bids are submitted. The buyer uses it to explain the proposed procurement, provide the same information to every interested supplier, and take questions about the project and the procurement process.

The Government of Canada uses the closely related wording "offerors' conference" in its CanadaBuys Buyer's Guide. The purpose is the same: help suppliers understand what is being bought and how the buyer will run the process before they commit time to a response. The guidance appears on the CanadaBuys page on engaging businesses.

The federal wording: offerors' conference

CanadaBuys describes the offerors' conference as a way to provide uniform information to potential offerors. Uniform means every supplier hears the same explanation at the same time, so no bidder gains an advantage from private conversations with the buyer.

The guidance says a buyer holds a conference only when it considers one necessary for offerors to fully understand the proposed procurement. It is not a standard step in every solicitation. When a buyer does call one, the primary purpose is to give information and to create an opportunity to ask questions about the project and the procurement process.

Suppliers also meet related terms such as bidders' conference, industry day, site visit and pre-bid meeting. These sit in the same family of buyer-supplier engagement activities, but the federal guidance cited here speaks directly only to the offerors' conference.

Notice requirements and venue

A conference cannot be a surprise. The CanadaBuys guidance says the announcement must be clearly stated in the notice of proposed procurement and in the solicitation documents. A supplier who reads the full tender notice and the solicitation package will find the conference details there.

• Where it is announced: the notice of proposed procurement and the solicitation documents.
• Where it is held: typically the office of the buyer issuing the solicitation, or another location accessible to the public.
• Why it is held: to explain the procurement, share uniform information and answer questions.

Current notices can be found through tender opportunities on CanadaBuys.

Attendance is optional

Under the CanadaBuys guidance, an offeror's attendance at the conference is optional. Not attending is not a requirement that prevents a supplier from submitting an offer. A supplier that skips the meeting can still bid.

That does not make the conference unimportant. It is the buyer's stated forum for explaining the project and the process, and the questions other suppliers ask there can show how the buyer reads its own requirements.

What a proponent's conference means for a supplier

When you see a conference in a tender notice, find the date, time and location in the notice and the solicitation documents. Decide whether attending is useful for your bid, and prepare your questions in advance. Submit them through the process the buyer specifies.

Because attendance is optional, a missed conference does not disqualify you. Still, the information the buyer shares there is meant for all potential bidders, so a team that does not attend should confirm what was covered before it finalizes its response. The CanadaBuys guide to finding tender opportunities is a useful starting point for tracking the notices where these conferences are announced.